Table of Contents
How the Power Grid (Actually) Works
To the uninitiated, power cuts seem random. To the observer, they are a symphony of systemic failure.
The Generation-Transmission-Distribution Disconnect:
Nigeria has the capacity to generate 12,000MW, but the transmission grid can only wheel 5,000MW, and the Distribution Companies (DisCos) can only collect revenue for 3,000MW.
The "Load Shedding" Algorithm:
When you have light for 4 hours and your neighbor doesn't, it's not luck. It is a calculated decision by a TCN (Transmission Company of Nigeria) engineer balancing the frequency to prevent a "Total System Collapse." Your darkness keeps the grid alive.
The Generation-Transmission-Distribution Disconnect:
Nigeria has the capacity to generate 12,000MW, but the transmission grid can only wheel 5,000MW, and the Distribution Companies (DisCos) can only collect revenue for 3,000MW.
The "Load Shedding" Algorithm:
When you have light for 4 hours and your neighbor doesn't, it's not luck. It is a calculated decision by a TCN (Transmission Company of Nigeria) engineer balancing the frequency to prevent a "Total System Collapse." Your darkness keeps the grid alive.
The NIBSS Switch and "Dispense Error"
Why does your transfer fail on Fridays at 5 PM?
The NIBSS Bottleneck:
All electronic transfers in Nigeria pass through the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS). It is the digital roundabout of our economy. When volume spikes (e.g., payday + weekend + festive season), the roundabout locks up.
The "Reversal" Purgatory:
When money leaves your account but doesn't reach the recipient, it is floating in a digital reconciliation file. It requires a manual or automated EOD (End of Day) sweep to return. It is not lost; it is just "hovering."
The NIBSS Bottleneck:
All electronic transfers in Nigeria pass through the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS). It is the digital roundabout of our economy. When volume spikes (e.g., payday + weekend + festive season), the roundabout locks up.
The "Reversal" Purgatory:
When money leaves your account but doesn't reach the recipient, it is floating in a digital reconciliation file. It requires a manual or automated EOD (End of Day) sweep to return. It is not lost; it is just "hovering."
Agbero Economics: The Informal Tax System
The men in white and green uniforms at bus stops are not just thugs; they are revenue collectors for a shadow government.
The daily "Ticket":
Every Danfo driver pays a daily levy to the Union. This money funds a complex patronage network that reaches high into the political stratosphere. It is arguably the most efficient tax collection system in the country—compliance is 100%, enforced by "physical persuasion."
The daily "Ticket":
Every Danfo driver pays a daily levy to the Union. This money funds a complex patronage network that reaches high into the political stratosphere. It is arguably the most efficient tax collection system in the country—compliance is 100%, enforced by "physical persuasion."
The Danfo Algorithm: Traffic Logic
Lagos traffic is not static; it is a fluid dynamic equation.
The "Face Your Front" Rule:
Traffic laws in Lagos are suggestions. The real law is "Vehicle Density." If a third lane can be formed on the curb, it will be formed.
The LASTMA Variable:
The presence of a traffic officer introduces a "Compliance Coefficient." Drivers calculate the cost of a bribe vs. the benefit of breaking the law in real-time.
The "Face Your Front" Rule:
Traffic laws in Lagos are suggestions. The real law is "Vehicle Density." If a third lane can be formed on the curb, it will be formed.
The LASTMA Variable:
The presence of a traffic officer introduces a "Compliance Coefficient." Drivers calculate the cost of a bribe vs. the benefit of breaking the law in real-time.
Undersea Cables and the "Slow Internet" Phenomenon
Nigeria is connected to the world by massive undersea cables (MainOne, Glo-1, WACS) landing in Lagos.
The "Last Mile" Problem:
The internet at the beach is blazing fast. The problem is getting it from the beach to your house in Egbeda. The fiber cables must traverse roads that are constantly being dug up for construction. Every time a backhoe cuts a cable, your Zoom call freezes.
The "Last Mile" Problem:
The internet at the beach is blazing fast. The problem is getting it from the beach to your house in Egbeda. The fiber cables must traverse roads that are constantly being dug up for construction. Every time a backhoe cuts a cable, your Zoom call freezes.
Engr. Tunde "The Fixer" Adeyemi
Systems Analyst
3
Engr. Tunde has spent 20 years mapping the informal and formal systems that keep Lagos running. He believes in "Chaos Theory" as a governance model.
33
Articles
Verified
Expert